Kayaking Laws? It's time

Paddlers' Place
#61

An amusing parody, but less than even a close comparison between the two.
Let us take a look why don’t we with a few stats.

Total deaths due to all boats in 2012 was 651 down from 758 in 2011. Unknow rate for use of kayaks and canoes for suicide. Although you can’t count it out that a few may have been suicidal. :wink:

Here is an interesting link on boating fatalities.
Kayaking Statistics | 2018 USCG Breakdown - Yak Logic

Here is a
quote from the following link

" There were 19,379 gun violence deaths in the US in 2020, (according to data from the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive). This statistic excludes suicides involving guns, which consistently account for a majority (roughly two-thirds) of annual US gun deaths. In 2020, Gun Violence Archive found there were 24,090 gun suicides.

Since Gun Violence Archive started tracking firearm violence in 2013, annual gun violence deaths generally fluctuated between 12,000 and 15,000. The next highest year after 2020 was 2017, when there were 15,718 gun violence deaths."

2020 saw more gun deaths in the US than any year in over two decades, showing even a pandemic couldn’t stop the violence (msn.com)](2020 saw more gun deaths in the US than any year in over two decades, showing even a pandemic couldn't stop the violence)

I think the pandemic contributed to the increase in violence so it’s not surprising there was an increase in 2020. I will use the approximate mid point in the range of gun deaths from the period between 2013 to 2019. Let us consider around 13,500 avg. deaths due to gun violence compared to about 750 boating deaths annually prior to 2020, sort of a grapes to grapefruit comparison even leaving out that guns are the preferred way to commit suicide. This doesn’t mean boating or gun safety isn’t important. However most gun deaths are deliberate actions against one’s self or others, and boating accidents are, well, accidents or unintentional fatalities.

#62

@garygoni

Could you clarify who the “you” is in your post? Note that the original post was a joke/sarcasm.

The post above yours is about the value of boater education courses. Which I had to take for my Junior license to operate a motor boat and found to be an excellent idea.

#63

that was an interesting first post. Has no merit here.

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#64

Woosh

#65

TOTALLY against any laws, especially registration. Don’t we have enough? If this is your agenda, don’t move to Florida.
Let the natural selection prevail. There will be stupid kayakers with or without the laws and the ONLY thing you’ll accomplish is higher costs. And, once it starts, it will not stop. Just look at the regulations with boats and cars, and none of it has improved safety!

Enough IS enough. Government is big enough!

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